


Trouble at the Tea Shop

by captivatingcapybaras



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, M/M, Modern AU, Whump Prompt, Zuko whump, Zuko works at the Jasmine Dragon, katara is a very protective and emotional sister, my poor baby zuko, zukka - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:26:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25704328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captivatingcapybaras/pseuds/captivatingcapybaras
Summary: Sokka came to walk his boyfriend Zuko home from his closing shift at his Uncle's tea shop, the Jasmine Dragon. But, when they're leaving, some local thieves stop them, injuring Sokka in the process.The gAang anxiously await in the hospital to hear news about Sokka's condition, and Katara is overcome with worry and anger. Zuko is guilt ridden. Aang is stressed. And sokka was injured.But- wait...was it Sokka who was injured?
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 233





	Trouble at the Tea Shop

“Sorry, we’re closed- “Zuko didn’t bother turning around to see who was responsible for the front bell’s jingling- whoever it was, they weren’t getting another cup of tea out of him. It was 8.30, and they technically closed at 8.

“Well, that’s a shame… I was going to ask for a recommendation. I need a new _cream_ for my nighttime tea.”

Feeling the heated gaze on the back of his neck, and feeling the thrill of excitement that rushed down his spine at the familiar voice, Zuko spun around, fast. Face flaming, hands clutching his damp rag, he stared at his boyfriend who was leaned suggestively over the counter, waggling is eyebrows dramatically.

“Oh my _Agni_ Sokka- “

Sokka merely raised an unimpressed eyebrow at the shorter man, halting whatever sarcastic comment he was about to lobe as a defense mechanism for being happy and surprised. Sokka gave him a purposeful once-over glance and beckoned him forward with a crooked finger.

Once the paler boy was within his arm’s reach, Sokka took a hold of the front pocket on _the Jasmine Dragon_ apron Zuko always wore, and tugged him gently forward, pulling until their lips met.

Zuko sighed happily into the kiss, reaching a hand up to cup the back of Sokka’s head, weaving his hand into the short-cut hairs on the side.

~

“Zuko!”

“Sokka, _no!_ ”

“Shut the fuck up and give us the money!”

 _This couldn’t be real, wasn’t real- they were just locking up, just going home. Sokka was spending the night, what was happening, what was going on?!_ Zuko’s mind felt drenched in adrenaline, simultaneously sluggish and uncomprehending, and hyper aware of the large masked man holding his boyfriend in a headlock.

“Stop! _Please_ , let him go, get away from him-“the words ripped from Zuko’s throat, visceral threats and pleads that came directly from his racing heart.

“How about before we do that, you unlock your uncle’s shop and _give us the fucking money_!”

“Zuko, don’t- “

“Shut up, water-tribe trash!” The surly brute holding Sokka tightened his grip, causing Sokka to struggle anew against the hold, coughing dryly at the decreased breathing space.

“Listen, if you want your little friend to live- “ _oh god he had a gun-_ a _gun, a gun, a gun, with the barrel pointed at Sokka._

_There was a gun pointed at Sokka. A barrel of the gun._

_barrel, Sokka, gun_

_gun, Sokka, barrel_

Zuko saw red. _Get the gun away from Sokka_ , that was his only objective.

 _Gun away, gun away, gun away_ -

Heat and fire. And Red. He felt the red, he _was_ the red. _So_ much red. Lots of red.

And- a bang? A bang.

It hurt Zuko’s ears.

Disoriented, searching the back alley for Sokka- _SokkaSokkaSokka_!

Sokka, on the ground! Sokka- slumped on the pavement.

Sokka, groaning and reaching for his head.

~

“I cannot believe you let him get hurt like this, Zuko! He was only in that part of town so late so he could walk _your_ prissy ass home! You seriously are a Dao prodigy and can’t fend off a _what_ , a petty thief?”

Zuko stood in the waiting room, head and gaze pointed to the floor, his over-poncho pulled tightly around him. He made no move to leave the stream of filth that spewed from Katara’s mouth, poison darts inoculated with a personally tailored drug.

“You just were _ambushed_? God, I _told_ Sokka that he needed to be careful with you- I mean, we _all know_ how your sister is! You obviously haven’t been known to keep the _best company-“_

The bang still was ringing in his ears. He still saw Sokka clutching his head on the ground. The inside of his eyelids, he saw him claw at the arm choking him. Sokka-

“Katara, that’s _enough_! Zuko would _never_ let Sokka get hurt on purpose, you know that!”

Zuko winced at the pain coursing through him. It hurt. Sokka was hurt. He took a labored breath- “Katara-“

“Don’t start with me, Sparky! My brother is in a _hospital_ because of _you!_ If my brother dies-“

 _Sokka dies. Sokka dead. Sokka was dead? No. Sokka was hurt. Because of him. Sokka hurt._ It hurt to breath- each inhale was coals in his lungs, ember sitting in the base of his throat. Each pull of air reignited them, fanning the flames.

“- weren’t able to protect him! I told him that getting involved with you was a stupid idea, I told him-“

Katara’s rants were rushing past his ears, warbled like he was listening from under water. His heart hurt. Sokka was hurt.

The yelling faded, as her voice trailed off the farther Aang steered her away from Zuko, sending an apologetic grimace over his shoulder to his old friend.

I let Sokka get hurt. My fault. If Sokka didn’t walk me home from work every-night Sokka wouldn’t be hurt. Sokka’s hurt. Sokka’s hurt and it’s my- coughs stopped the thoughts- the pressure in his head suffocating the beratement. Breathing was hard. Harder than before, his chest was stitched together to tight, it was bursting at the seams, it hurt, it hurt-

“Family for a… Sua-cah?”

“Sokka! Yes, yes, that’s us.” Katara jumped up from her briefly-occupied seat across the small waiting area, and strode over to the doctor who had come out from the double doors blocking her from her brother.

“He’s completely fine, really no more than a few nasty cuts and some bruising on his neck. We had to completely check him over, because he had hit his head pretty badly, and we were worried about a potential neck injury, but he’s right as rain.”

Katara heaved a choked sob, and Aang wrapped his arms around her protectively, caging her shaking form and letting her turn into his body to cry, relieved.

“So, to be clear, doctor, there’s nothing wrong, he’s completely okay?”

“Sure is! He’s still a little out of it- we gave him some pain meds and a muscle relaxer.”

“Oh, thank god. Thank you, doctor.”

“Certainly. Sounded like a pretty bad fight, from the review I got. He was a little out of it because of the pain meds, but he kept saying to check on somebody- so, whoever it was who helped him, hope he made his way to the ER.”

With a vague and confused nod, Aang dismissed the man who turned back to the medical corridor, disappearing behind the door.

“Sokka… okay?” Zuko’s voice was soft and strained, coming from the back of the small trio that had crowded around the healer.

“Yeah, isn’t that grea- _oh my spirits, Zuko!”_ Aang lunged forward to try to catch the scarily-pale form of his friend fall to the ground. His robes fell open around him, a backdrop to the horrifying red stains seeping into his white top.

“ _Doctor!”_

~

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it! I'm not entirely opposed to writing a second chapter- idk if I want the cliffie ending or not. LMK what y'all think?
> 
> As always, thank you for reading! <3 And remember; Black lives matter today and every day, and please stay safe and wear a mask!


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